


Compass

by LogicalBookThief



Series: Postcards [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Back to School Blues, First Day of School, Fluff, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Post-Episode: s02e20 Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls, Post-Weirdmageddon, Siblings, because that's what they do best, brief moment of bullying, correct use of grapping hooks, excuse me while I cry about weirdmaggedon part 2 some more, just these two amazing kids being for each other, like they do best, pure fluff, yeah it's been months what's your point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:53:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6608011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LogicalBookThief/pseuds/LogicalBookThief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel and Dipper’s first day back at school has a few setbacks, but nothing the Mystery Twins can’t handle together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compass

As the twins approached the school’s entrance, Mabel paused a few steps shy of the door. Dipper stopped next to her, shooting his sister a perplexed look.

They didn’t have time to dawdle, already at risk of running late after Mabel tried sneaking Waddles into her backpack this morning. Mom had been rather lenient in letting the pig stay, to the point of even allowing him to sleep in Mabel’s bed, but she had to draw the line _somewhere_.

“I’m not going in,” Mabel declared.

Baffled, Dipper responded, “Wait, _what?”_

He was surprised, only because his sister had exhibited no signs of trepidation in the days leading to now. Just last night, they had stayed up discussing what they planned to do with the new school year.

Mabel had never taken an interest in sports before, but in addition to all her artsy extracurricular activities, she wanted to give _boxing_ a try. Dipper had done _a lot_ of running and dodging over the past three months and wondered if he should consider track – meanwhile, he had mission to begin a conspiracy club for tracking alien sightings across the country, ghost hunting, and discussing paranormal creatures _besides_ Bigfoot.

“I thought I was ready, but now…” Mabel glanced warily at the threshold, previous enthusiasm wavering. “I realized the minute we step through that door, the summer’s _really_ over.”

Sighing, she plopped down on the top step, a dejected raspberry flying from her mouth.

“And what if everyone laughs at me like they did at Wendy’s school? Or what if Waddles gets lonely and becomes sick and _perishes_ without my companionship?”

“I think that’s _hermit crabs.”_

“Dipper!”

Right. Not helpful.

“Okay,” he conceded, dropping to her side.

She furrowed her brow. “Okay?”

He nodded.

“So if we’re not going to school anymore, we’ll have to find jobs,” stated Dipper, logically. “We can’t just become bums right off the bat. We have to wait until we’re old and cranky, like Grunkle Stan did.”

Mabel giggled. “I vote we join the circus!”

“Alright, then what will our act be? We’re gonna need a hook.” He tapped his chin in thought. “The twin trapeze artists?”

“Pass,” she declined. “Ever since the water tower, I’m not too keen on heights.”

“Good point,” he agreed, remembering the death-defying parachute incident. “I play in band, so I guess I could do a musical number?”

“While riding a unicycle!” Mabel added. “As they shoot you out of _a canon!”_

Dipper pouted, unimpressed. “And what exactly will _you_ be doing?”

“Hmm,” Mabel hummed, a smile blooming across her face like a flower opening to spring. “Stealing money from unsuspecting spectators as they’re dazzled by my brother playing the tuba as he juggles and fends off a tiger that has a fist on its head!”

 _“Or,”_ Dipper interjected, _“You_ could do that, while I steal from people. Better yet, we cut out the middleman and just rob a bank! But the circus life _does_ have free peanuts and popcorn, so Waddles would be happy at least…”

Knowing that he’d automatically incorporated her beloved pig into their hypothetical future scenario eemed to hearten Mabel to the core.

“Let’s just go,” she laughed, as she leapt to her feet.

“Are you _sure?”_ he asked. “I’m serious about becoming circus performers slash partners in crime.”

Mabel nodded, offering him a hand. “No, it’s fine. I don’t feel so scared anymore.”

Together, they braved the doorway and entered the hall. She had yet to release his hand, so he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“See? This isn’t so bad–”

No sooner did the words leave his mouth than he heard a jeering voice at his rear, “Hey, Dipwad! What’s with that hat, practicing for the Lumberjack Olympics?”

Dipper groaned, annoyed. Great, _Meyer._ He’d figured – or had _hoped,_ rather  – that this dude would’ve finally flunked a grade so nobody would have to deal with him anymore.

“And nice shirt!” Meyer chortled, pointing at the depiction of Waddles lovingly stitched onto Mabel’s sweater (her way of coping with their separation). “Who that’s on it, your boyfriend?”

The bully snorted as he shuffled away, and Dipper turned to his sister, ready to support her if she needed. All he caught was a flash of metal before the end of Mabel’s grappling hook shot past, sending the unsuspecting Meyer soaring into a nearby locker, shrieking like an airborne gnome.

He stared at his sibling in astonishment. “Mom wouldn’t let you bring a pig, but she let you bring a _grappling hook?”_

“What Mom doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Mabel replied, mouth curled in a devious smirk. Dipper had seen that look before on someone else.

Perhaps Grunkle Stan had rubbed off on them a little _too_ much this summer.

On cue, a teacher walked by, steam from the mug of coffee wafting towards his glazed, grey-bagged eyes. Both froze when he glanced at them, Mabel’s grappling hook still in hand.

But all he said was, “Do you two have hall passes?”

Swiftly, they nodded.

He didn’t even bother checking. “Carry on to class, then,” he muttered dully, and they did just that.

They managed to grab seats with a minute to spare. As the bell rang, a perky young woman in a bright yellow sundress entered, more awake than anyone had a right to be on the first Monday back to school.

“Good morning, everyone!” she greeted, clapping her hands. “I’m Ms. Schaal, your new homeroom teacher. Welcome to another lovely year of learning and fun!”

“Che. That has _yet_ to be seen,” Dipper scoffed under his breath. He heard a snicker off to the side, and saw a girl wearing a _Ghost Harassers_ shirt trying to resist a chuckle. Not expecting the comment to be heard, let alone _enjoyed,_ he flushed and beamed at her.

“So I’ll start by taking attendance, and when I call your name, I’d like if you could say a little something about yourself.”

Gah, not this! He never knew what to say for these ice-breakers. And now, when he finally had a million interesting things he _could_ say, nobody was ever going to believe him.

_Hi, I’m Dipper Pines and I helped avert the apocalypse. I’m Dipper and I saved my great uncle from being abducted by aliens. I once decapitated Larry King._

After moving steadily down her list, Ms. Schaal eventually arrived at, “Mabel Pines?”

Earlier apprehension vanishing, Mabel kneeled on her chair, waving boisterously at the rest of the class.

“Hi, I’m Mabel!” she introduced. “Technically, my full title is _Congressman_ Mabel. I just turned thirteen, have the best pet pig in the whole wide world – his name is Waddles, this is him on my sweater, which I knitted myself – and there’s a grappling hook hidden in my backpack. Wanna see?”

“Maybe later,” Ms. Schaal suggested kindly.

A few classmates snickered at his sister, and while that was to be expected. Dipper frowned anyhow. Luckily, Mabel didn’t seem to notice (or _care_ ) and he noticed that some other kids were smiling at her – not in a mean way, but a way that said they would very much like to be her friend, or be more like her in general.

Not everyone might be able to appreciate her bubbliness; nonetheless, there was no denying that she had broken the ice, and filled the room with a confidence that inspired others, including her brother.

“Dipper Pines,” he called out, knowing what was coming. “Call me Dipper.”

Ms. Schaal nodded, making a note on her attendance sheet. “Is that a nickname?”

“Yep,” said Dipper, and without even a squirm of shame, removed Wendy’s hat and lifted his bangs. “It’s because of my birthmark.”

“Oh, the Big Dipper,” Ms. Schaal awed. “That’s quite extraordinary!”

“Thanks.” A boy he recognized from band muttered something like “wicked _cool,_ sure better than my mole” and Dipper hid a smile behind his notebook.

His sister shot him a thumbs up, obviously to congratulate him on his courage, but didn’t she see that she had given him the courage by simply being herself?

Mabel was his compass, always pointing him towards true north. He would be lost without her.


End file.
